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December 19, 2012

Holiday Cheer - A Hero For Christmas

By Cheryl Pierson

With the holidays upon us, I was thinking about
traditions in our family and how much they mean in our memories.Growing up, there wasn’t a Christmas that
passed that my mom didn’t make divinity for my dad. A hard candy to make
because of its temperamental proclivity not to “set”, when it “turned out”—it
was a happy day. I didn’t care much for divinity—I’d rather have the other
traditional candy we always had—fudge. But I still remember how my dad loved
that white confection with the green and red candied cherries on top.

A tradition I started when I had kids was to buy
them an ornament every Christmas. Every year, I think, “maybe this is the year
to give them their collection”—they’re 23 and 26—and every year, I just can’t
bring myself to do it.

And what could be more traditional for a good
Christmas story than a handsome, to-die-for, hunk of a hero? Who wouldn’t want
a hero for Christmas…or FOUR of them? And they’ll all fit snugly in a stocking
or on your e-reader!

Yep, I’m talking about my latest release, A HERO FOR CHRISTMAS, which is a
collection of four of my Christmas themed historical romantic short stories!
These are all available separately, as “single sell” short stories for only .99
through Western Trail Blazer, as well. But I was thrilled when my publisher,
Rebecca Vickery, suggested putting them all under one gorgeous cover and
offering them as a collection.

A
NIGHT FOR MIRACLES is the first story in the collection.
It will always be near and dear to my heart because it was the first holiday
story I ever wrote, as well as being the first short story (which really turned
into a novelette.) I still just love the story of Angela Bentley and Nick
Dalton. Angela’s a widow, alone on Christmas Eve. Gunman Nick Dalton stops at
her cabin in gathering wintry twilight. Wounded, and with three children in
tow, there’s no chance of Angela telling him he has to ride on.Will this be A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES for them?

Legend says that miracles happen on
Christmas Eve. Can a chance encounter between a gunfighter and a lonely widow
herald a new beginning for them both? On this special night, they take a gamble
that anything is possible–if they only believe!
Available now with WESTERN TRAIL BLAZER PUBLISHING!

The second story is a very different kind of
Christmas story, HOMECOMING. I wrote
this story long before I ever even thought of selling it. In fact, I wasn’t
sure I COULD sell it. But it turned out better than I ever imagined, with so
much power and emotion, I’ve had many, many compliments on it. It still humbles
me, to think of this story that came from nowhere, one I wasn’t sure would ever
see the light of day—has now become one that so many people have enjoyed.

A holiday skirmish sends Union officer,
Jack Durham, on an unlikely mission to fulfill his promise of honor to a dying
Confederate soldier—his enemy. In an odd twist of fate, a simple assurance to
carry young Billy Anderson's meager belongings home to his family a few miles
away becomes more than what it seems.

As he nears his destination, the
memories of the soldier's final moments mingle with his own thoughts of the
losses he's suffered because of the War, including his fiancee, Sarah. Despite
his suffering, can Jack remember what it means to be fully human before he
arrives at the end of his journey? Will the miracle of Christmas be able to
heal his heart in the face of what awaits him?

MEANT
TO BE is the third story in the collection. It’s a time
travel story of love that crosses centuries. The heroine, Robin Mallory, is
stranded on Christmas Eve and begins to walk for help, only to find that she’s
walked down a road to the past and into the arms of handsome a Confederate
soldier, Jake Devlin. Will she stay in 1864, or will she return to the lonely
life she left behind? (If he looked like Jimmy Thomas, that would be a very
easy decision!)

Robin
Mallory is facing another Christmas all alone when she decides to surprise her
aunt and uncle several hours away. A flat tire leaves her stranded near a
desolate section of interstate. With a snowstorm on the way, Robin has no
choice but to walk, hoping to find shelter before the storm hits full force.
But the road she chooses leads her back in time, to a battleground she's only
read about in history books.

Confederate Jake Devlin, an officer in
Stand Watie's Cherokee forces, is shocked when the spy he jumps turns out to be a girl. She's dressed oddly, but
her speech and the ideas she has are even stranger than her clothing. Where did
she come from, and what is he going to do with her? Will he be able to hold on
to his heart? Is it possible for a love this strong to span centuries? It is,
if it was MEANT TO BE…

And last but not least is
a story I have wanted to write since I was a little girl. If you’ve ever heard
the old folk song, SCARLET RIBBONS,
perhaps you’ll understand why. In the song, thesinger (I love the Harry Belafonte version more than any other) tells of
hearing his little girl praying for some scarlet ribbons for her hair.
Everything is closed for the night, and there’s no hope of him being able to
buy them for her; such a simple request and no way to grant it. All night long
he’s thinking about it and finally goes to peek in on her only to find her
asleep, the scarlet ribbons on her bed. “If I live to be a hundred, I will
never know from where…came those lovely scarlet ribbons, scarlet ribbons for
her hair…” Well, I can never get through that song without getting misty eyed,
but I always wondered about the story behind the scarlet ribbons…so I wrote
one.

Miguel Rivera is known as El
Diablo, The Devil. Men avoid meeting his eyes for fear of his gun. Upon
returning to a town where he once knew a brief happiness, Miguel is persuaded
by a street vendor to make a foolish holiday purchase; two scarlet ribbons.

When Catalina, his former lover, allows
him to take a room at her boarding house, Miguel soon discovers a secret.
Realizing that he needs the scarlet ribbons after all, he is stunned to find
them missing. Can a meeting with a mysterious priest and the miracle of the
Scarlet Ribbons set Miguel on a new path?

Now, you can get all these stories under one cover!
In one final note, I will say that after I wrote these stories and put them all
together, I noticed something that is certainly NOT traditional—each of them as
a special twist, the magic of Christmas working in a way that truly does bring
about a miracle in each case. These stories are rated sweet to sensual. I will be giving away a digital copy today to
one lucky commenter!

And one more bit of tradition—a recipe that we can’t
live without for very long here in the Pierson household—I’ll be making this
tomorrow for sure. It’s the first thing I ever learned to bake and no matter
what other fancy desserts are on the table, this is always the one I go for.

BLONDE
BROWNIES

4 eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla1½cups flour

2 ½cups brown sugar

½ tsp. salt

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

½cup (OR MORE!) choc. Chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat eggs well. Add brown sugar
gradually, beating until well mixed. Add vanilla, flour, salt and mix well. Add
chopped nuts and mix. Pour into a greased, 9x13 pan and sprinkle chocolate
chips over top of the batter. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes
(depending on your oven). This makes a 9x13 pan of brownies. You can half this
recipe for an 8x8 pan, and reduce cooking time to 25 minutes.

18 comments:

Anna Kathryn,Thanks so much for having me here today! I'm so glad for the opportunity to talk about Christmas traditions and my latest Christmas release, A HERO FOR CHRISTMAS. If you've never made Blonde Brownies before, you are in for a treat. They are one of my "comfort foods." Cheryl

Hi Cheryl, I just finished A Night for Miracles. Hubba. Loved it. I know, I know, it's hard to pass along the treasures, but our daughter has a home now so I'm weeding out things for her. And when my son's little boy was born, I passed over the gorgeous olive-wood handcarved Nativity set my mom brought me from Bethlehem. I love Christmas. May yours be merry and bright!

Tanya! I'm so glad you enjoyed A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES. I know what you mean about passing things on--I think I'd be more inclined if my kids were more settled, and if I had grandkids! LOL I love Christmas, too. I hope you have a wonderful one this year, Tanya!

I've read every one of these books and they were sensational. Homecoming will probably always be my favorite. I do like to just stare at the cover of A Hero For Christmas and drool. LOLI'm with you on the fudge. This may sound weird, but we always had to have nuts--you know the kind you have to crack into yourself. Don't know why, just always had to have them.

Cheryl--I love that you bought an ornament every year for each of their kids. You have a big collection now. The time to give them their collection is when they marry and have their first tree.So, you may have to wait a while. Kids are waiting much longer these days to be married.I've read all your Christmas stories in your collection. Wishing you lots of good luck and sales on your collection--it's the perfect Christmas book.Have a blessed and merry Christmas!!!

Sarah, I'm like you--that cover just takes the cake, doesn't it? Karen Nutt did that for me. Thanks so much for coming by and commenting! I remember those days of cracking and shelling nuts. Did you ever have one of those nutcrackers that had somekind of rubber band slingshot thing on it that cracked the nut? My dad had one of those!Cheryl

Yes, Celia, I do have a huge collection for them and I think this year when I put away the Christmas ornaments, I'll start them each a box. I know kids ARE waiting longer, and that's okay with me--after the "almost" fiasco with my son. LOL Thanks for your kind words, my friend!

Cheryl, I just had to comment on the nut cracker thing. I saw those sling-shot crazy nut crackers advertised on TV and was fascinated. I thought a person might lose a finger in one of those things. Sadly, we never got one. Bummer.

Cheryl, that nut cracker you're talking about...was it a long cylinder looking thing? My dad had one and I saw it at my mother's house earlier this year. I think my brother has it now. It did work well. I don't recall anyone hurting themselves with it.

Yes, Anna! Dad's was somehow attached to a really nice board that allowed you to set it on a flat surface. No one hurt themselves with it at our house either. I wish I could remember how it was made to prevent that.Cheryl

Life Quotes

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. ~ Winston Churchill

Do or do not -- there is no try. ~Yoda

Struggling and suffering are the essence of a life worth living. If you're not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not demanding more from yourself - expanding and learning as you go - you're choosing a numb existence. You're denying yourself an extraordinary trip. ~Dean Karnazes

Look around you. Everything changes. Everything on this earth is in a continuous state of evolving, refining, improving, adapting, enhancing and changing. You were not put on this earth to remain stagnant. ~Steve Maraboli

Workshops by Anna Kathryn

THE HERO'S JOURNEY via TITANIC Whether you’re a plotter or a panster, knowing The Hero’s Journey will help you with your story’s plot. Using Christopher Vogler’sguideline, I will lead you through a month-long journey of your own online. Lectures, discussions and homework on The Mythological Woods and the Hero’s Journey your hero and heroine should take during your book.

To better participate in the class, students should watch James Cameron’s TITANIC.

PIONEERING WOMEN OF THE WEST

The West was discovered by men looking for adventure and fortune. But it was civilized by women who brought families, schools, churches, and stability to the area.

In PIONEERING WOMEN OF THE WEST, you’ll learn about the western movement, the treacherous journey hundreds of thousands people took and of the lives of specific women who helped shape the West, intentionally or not. Some women went looking for a better life; others followed their man into the wilderness.

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About Me

Anna Kathryn Lanier started writing while still in high school. Her first novel was a futuristic Armageddon tale with romantic elements. She wrote her first romances in her early twenties, but her only submission was rejected. After putting her writing on hold for nearly two decades to raise two daughters and play housewife, Anna Kathryn picked up the pen again, so to speak--this is the computer age--five years ago. She has completed three romance novels to date. She also enjoys writing short stories. Her first short story, "Happily Ever After" was published in 2005. She has since published five more short stories. "The Priceless Gift," a contemporary western, was released in November, 2007, is a #1 best seller at The Wild Rose Press.
"A Cowboy's Dream," another contemporary western,(Nov. 2008) which is a mega rewrite of her very first published story "Happily Ever After" and, "Salvation Bride," a historical western(Jan. 2009)are both best sellers with The Wild Rose Press. Anna Kathryn lives in Texas with her husband and three cats. She has two grown daughters and three grandchildren. She is pursuing a bachelor degree in history at a local college.